“Commencement speakers are typically supposed to inspire you to make a splash in the world, be somebody, do something big and important. But this isn’t a typical university, and you’re not a typical class. So I’m trusting I won’t get in trouble for this next piece of advice: Learn the art of doing nothing.” Addressing the graduating class of a religious studies university, ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta makes a case for the power of stilling the mind, deepening awareness and practicing what he calls the 3 S’s: small, service, and surrender. Framed in the context of a rapidly changing world that privileges money, fame and power, his talk is riddled with inspiring counter examples. Drawing on insights from revolutionary Do-Nothing farmer Masanobu Fukuoka, Sufi parables, stories from the White House, a bowing monk and more, Mehta’s words serves as a clarion call back to humanity’s universal values.
